Steelers hope to use title game loss as motivation for '05
Friday, May 06, 2005

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Steelers dealt with the unexcused absence of Plaxico Burress during minicamp last year. Today, something else might be missing as they enter their mandatory three-day spring camp -- a certain attitude, an edge, a drive that comes with the humiliation of a 6-10 record.

Even coach Bill Cowher raised the issue of how his team can recapture the kind of drive that helped carry them through a 15-1 record last season.

"We came off a year where we were 6-10, we had a little bit of an edge," Cowher said. "We played the season a little bit with that ... the one thing we can't lose sight of is how we were able to approach last year with a sense of urgency week in and week out. I think that's the challenge as a head coach I have, that's the challenge our staff has and our football team has is coming back and playing with that edge."